Nightmare Before You
by Flaming Orange Rose
Summary: What if Jack's visit to Christmas Town isn't a coincidence? What if he was lead to it by the Prince of the Pumpkin Patch, Shiro? While Jack has a musical menagerie, Shiro visit his very busy elf, Ichigo … ShiroIchi Yaoi. JackxSally.


**The Nightmare Before You**

Pairing: ShiroxIchigo, JackxSally

Universes: The Nightmare Before Christmas x Bleach

Summary: What if Jack's visit to Christmas Town isn't a coincidence? What if he was lead to it by the Prince of the Pumpkin Patch, Shiro? While Jack has a musical menagerie, Shiro visit his very busy elf, Ichigo …

Warnings: Yaoi, foul mouthed-ness, moroseness – it is partly set in Halloween Town after all –corniness – loads of lame innuendos, Candy Floss (Fluff with a side of sugar). One-shot.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Nightmare Before Christmas or Bleach. They belong to their respective creators Tim Burton and Tite Kubo.

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><p>Shiro could totally get why Jack was getting a bit hacked off with this whole Halloween business. It was only so many times that someone was going to get scared by a ghost popping out of their table during lunch. It was a classic, seeing all the fountains of liquid shooting out of people's mouth so they showered their saliva on each other. People falling over and passing out was even better. The oldies that almost had heart attacks was his favourite though … What? He lived in Halloween Town. The clue is in the name. He lived for scaring the blood out of people.<p>

But seeing Jack Skellington, his friend the only person who Shiro had serious respect for, look so fucking depressed … it just wasn't right. Scary as hell may be, pissed off certainly. But sad? No. He was going to get to the bottom of it and help out.

Everyone else didn't see it. They were too intimidated to get past the "Boss" aura he gave off. Shiro was the only one with enough balls to take a stand when he had something to say. The rest usually went along with everything Jack decided quite happily.

Shiro, however, was no one's Yes Man.

He followed Jack as the man walked off towards the graveyard. The one with actual graves. Which was odd because most of the citizens of the town were already dead anyway. Including Jack's pet dog Zero.

Hearing Jack talk to himself among the graves made Shiro realise something. Jack was doing exactly what he had done not so long ago. Pacing about, trying to reason out the seemingly unreasonable. Ever since he came into existence, so long ago he couldn't even recall how old he was, he had always been missing something. At first he was so into making sure he made every Halloween the best yet, that it hardly took precedent in his mind.

Decades went by without his noticing, but the empty feeling started to grow. He talked about it too those trusted few, but an answer was never to be found. They had started calling him "Hollow Shiro". It just kind of stuck and was almost as well-known as Jack Skellington.

They found him pacing the graves as if lost. Eventually their so called "help" pissed him off so much that he just picked a direction and started walking. No destination in mind, no plans, no thoughts if he could help it. His mindless meandering brought him to the best thing that had ever happened to him, and he would pass this opportunity on to the only respected person in his long life.

Jack faced the moon with a melancholy look, Shiro walked up the small hill to stand by his side.

"Another great year, huh?" Shiro started conversationally, not looking up at the man's white skull.

"Best yet. But … I can't help but feel that something is missing."

It seemed that Shiro had guessed correctly. "It just swallows you up doesn't it? That feeling that someone's scraping away at the hole in your chest that you'd give anything to fill."

Jack looked down at his old friend. Skin and hair whiter than bone. Gold eyes shrouded by death black. A grin so jagged it could rip screams from the throats of all. The grin was missing that night. In its place a frown that Jack could feel on his own face.

"How do you deal with it? The unending emptiness?"

Jack Skellington looking for advice? It really was serious. "Well, you've come to the right person, Jack. The man with the answer."

If Jack had eyes they would have widened, if he had eyebrows they would have raised. "You have the cure for this madness?"

Shiro finally looked up into ominous black sockets. "I do. And I can show you. My cure at least, it will help you find yours." He walked past his friend and down the uncurling hill* and on into the forest, Jack right behind him.

"Fascinating! So this problem has many cures?" Jack asked in his inquisitor way.

"As far as I am aware. But one thing is for certain," He turned to face Jack, with a look that sent shivers down the Pumpkin King's bones, his face morphing in too all kinds of unimaginable horror, "_You will never take my cure away from me. If you so much as try, you will not live to see next Halloween._"

He turned before he could receive a response.

They walked a seemingly endless path. The conversation had resparked after a while. Plans already underway for next year amongst other things.

Jack covered his face with a bony hand once they emerged from the darkened path of the forest.

"Almost there now, Jack."

Shiro continued to walk forward to a circle of trees at the centre of the clearing. Jack followed, excitement buzzing in his bones. Approaching the trees, he noticed that they had something strange on each of them. An egg? A turkey? A heart? What did it all mean?

"Crazy, right?" Shiro broke him from his thoughts, "A while back I had the emptiness you do now. I pissed people off without sappy and pathetic I was being. So I just took off and wound up here. See these?" He pointed to each of the images. "They represent a holiday. Like our Halloween."

Jack inspected each of them carefully, Shiro watching from the side-lines. Questions popping into his head like dead daisies out of a grave. What did it all mean? He spent about the same time on each tree, but he was drawn to one in particular.

"Thought you'd be interested in that one. I've been too them all, but this is the one I wanted you to see. And where our journey proceeds to." Shiro walked towards the tree with the image of a tree covered in shiny circles and lines, turning a golden handle and opening it like a door. Peeking inside, all Jack saw was black. He had been hoping for something more impressive if truth be told. He looked at Shiro confused. The man just shook his head and stepped into the hole and disappeared. Jack followed eagerly.

Jack could not believe his eye sockets. He had to be dreaming. It just couldn't be possible for something so simple magnificent to ever exist. It was within his grasp. Softly falling white things that felt cold to the touch, yet bringing such a warm feeling inside of him. What was this place?

"Like it? It gets better."

How? How could his friend possibly say something that impossible? This was a world of wonder and amazement, how could it get better?

"I have to warn you stay out of sight for now, Jack. I'm not sure how the whole mixing holidays is supposed to work."

They walked around the edge of the town, Jack unable to pull himself away from the bright sights and sounds. Shiro had always had to be careful whenever he visited, just in case he was caught somewhere red handed with no good excuse to hand. Even in Halloween Town he stood out a lot. In this world of colour he was even more out of place.

Shiro led them to the largest building in the town. A huge red building covered in twinkling electric lights and sparkling string in a variety of colours. Shiro motioned for him to be quiet as they crept in, winding through a maze of corridors to a room at the end of a long corridor.

Shiro opened the door slowly, as if not to alert any occupants, of which there was one.

Jack had observed the small creatures pottering about the town happily, singing without a care in the world. Like they lived for cheer and had never seen a ghost or ghoul before. Shiro informed him that they were Elves. They worked hard at their jobs in preparation for the next holiday. Making toys and candy all year round. Jack had wanted to stay and watch them at work longer, but Shiro had pushed them on.

Shiro had the widest smile he had seen on him in a long time … well ever in fact. Nobody tended to smile in Halloween Town. This was by far the most confusing thing he had seen all day. Something didn't quite add up. The speculation that Shiro had actually come to this wondrous place to see a person was absurd. Shiro was alone. He didn't associate with anyone beyond an acquaintance. Jack had been sure that he had known Shiro, but know he was having second thoughts.

For there, to his great surprise, was indeed another being on the other side of the door. The entire room was bathed with light from a warm fire, decorated with the barest of trimmings Jack had seen throughout the entire town. The sparkling string from outside was nowhere to be seen. Simple decorations of dark green and red framed the fireplace and desk.

Sat in a high-backed red velvet chair in front of the fire, slouching slightly in soft slumber was one of the most beautiful creatures Jack had ever seen.

The brightest of orange hair tinted gold by the fire's flames, tan skin despite the cold and snowy weather. A slim body clad in a uniform of white velvet with green fur lining; a waistcoat on top of a white dress shirt with long bell sleeves and green cuffs, very short white shorts with small silver bells hanging from a chain at his small waist, knee high brown leather lace up heeled boots with white and green striped socks coming over his knees. A small white and green hat placed perfectly on the crown of his head.

The boy shifted slightly at a gasp that Jack couldn't quite hold back, rubbing tantalizing thighs together. Jack recoiled at the warning glare of death sent his way by Shiro. The white demon's words from earlier starting to make a little sense. So this boy was Shiro's cure? Fascinating.

Shiro made his way over to the slumbering elf, though Jack knew that this boy was different to all the others they had passed before. Jack was awestruck with how gentle and careful Shiro was being around the boy. Normally he was louder than a banshee in a graveyard. Jack could feel the warmth from earlier return with a force, the scene before him was endearing. This was the scariest thought he had ever had.

Shiro cupped the boy's face with a white hand, planting a soft kiss on the boy's pink lips. Long lashes fluttered from tan cheeks as he awoke, slowly responding to the delicate kiss.

Never in all his years of death had Jack seen his friend care about anything as much as did about this boy. He had witnessed far too much of Shiro's private life than he was comfortable with. A quick motion that he was going to leave the two in privacy was received with a nod from Shiro, barely glancing away from the face of his lover.

Rousing his tired elf out of his dreams, he smiled when beautiful brown eyes locked on to his. He smiled wider into their kiss, deepening it slightly. Arms came up to wrap around his neck as an incentive to continue. Switching their positions on the chair so his elf was sitting comfortably on his lap, he lapped lightly at luscious lips. They parted with a soft sigh allowing him entry.

Lips parted slowly, foreheads resting against each other.

"Hey."

"Hey."

No other greeting was needed. They sat with each other comfortably for a while before either spoke again.

"Busy day, huh?"

"Absolutely crammed. Christmas Eve is fast approaching and the new interns on the factory line aren't picking the pace up like we'd hoped."

Shiro chuckled lightly, "Can't win them all, eh?"

His elf pecked his cheek in agreement, leaning into his body again.

"I miss this, Shiro."

"_Me too, Ichigo_."

Jack didn't like the idea of eavesdropping on such a scene, but his curious nature wan out of his morals, lacking though they were.

The gentle kisses and soft spoken words filled his chest up with another feeling he didn't fully understand. Beside the empty feeling gnawing at his ribcage was now a strange longing. For what, he did not know. But he knew that the scene through the door was the only clue that Shiro was going to give him.

So Jack wanted something to fill up the hole in his chest that had been bothering him. He wanted something that Shiro possessed and he did not. Jack knew that although he had a stirring when he first saw the elf, now known as Ichigo, it wasn't him exactly per say.

The feeling of longing had first arisen when he saw how Shiro had acted around Ichigo. The way his demeanour completely soften when his eyes lay sight on the sleeping boy. It was a look of contentment. Something Jack had not felt in a long, long while.

Was this what he craved? Intimacy with another being?

He knew he had over stayed his welcome, and began to make his way back to the portal. Not at all surprised when long auburn hair and a kind smile entered his thoughts.

Sally?

"Seems we have a little problem, _Ichigo_. I just had a talk with ol' Sandy Claws and he says you're on the _Naughty List _this year." Shiro husked from his place at the end of the bed.

Ichigo let out a gasp of mock shock and excitement. "Really? Are you sure, Shiro?"

"I am, Ichigo. But there is some good news." He stalked his way around the bed, eyes never leaving Ichigo's body. "Santa told me a way that could get you back on the Nice List."

"Please tell me, Shiro." His entire body shivering with anticipation.

"It's quite simple actually," He suddenly yanked Ichigo's legs towards the edge of the bed, pushing them apart and standing right between them, keeping his hands on Ichigo's thighs. "All you've got to do is help out a lost, lonely boy from out of town."

"That's all?" Ichigo asked innocently.

"Yep, that's all. So," He leaned down towards Ichigo, brushing his white lips against a flushed cheek, "how do you plan to do that, you naughty boy?"

Ichigo blushed even more as he let out a small moan of want, his hips bucking for want of contact. Shiro smirked at how delectable his berry could get when teased into arousal.

"I suppose," Ichigo began, placing hands on Shiro's hard pectorals, "we could play a few games, or with a few _toys_."

He bit his lips suggestively, running his hands down the bare planes of hard muscle. Shiro bit back a groan as Ichigo reached his waistline.

"Go on."

"O-Or," Ichigo stuttered slightly, undoing the button and zipper of Shiro's trousers, leaning into the impressive package that was Shiro's crotch. "we could always have candy sucking races."

"You are a very naughty little elf, Ichigo."

"You love it though, right Mr Prince of Darkness?" Ichigo said coyly, thoroughly teasing Shiro with a tongue licking luscious lips. _What Shiro couldn't wait to do to those …_

"Ah,"

"Happy Halloween, Shiro."

"Merry Christmas, Ichigo."

*CENSORED FOR XMAS!*

"By the way, Ichi. You may want to have a word with Sandy Claws."

"About what?"

"I have a feeling that my good friend Jack will want to take over Christmas from now on."

…

…

…

" … what?"

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><p>Merry Christmas!<p>

*This should make sense if you have ever watched The Nightmare Before Christmas.

FlamingOrangeRose -x


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